Walking in True Commitment

In life, we have so many commitments - to our families, friends, careers, schools, and even to working out. What about our commitment to God? In this season, we will better understand our commitment to God through sacrifice, stewardship, and service.

Main Point:

Being a disciple of Christ requires a conscious, committed effort. We will never be effective disciples with a casual, unconcerned approach. It is a lifestylewe are called to commit ourselves unto.

Jesus The Perfect Example:
Paradidomi is translated “committed” in . It literally means “I give.” A personal commitment is to giveyourself to the person or thing under consideration.

We want to consider the principles Jesus revealed in the text as we think on true commitment.

I. Involves Choice – “If Any Man Will Come After Me.”
A. The word “will”means “to desire, to resolve, or to determine.” The first thing we must do is determinein our hearts that this is our desire.
B. This is a deliberatechoice, a determined resolve to follow Christ.

YOU know what food does? It satisfies hunger. There are many Christians who are hungry even though they have eaten. You see, they are filled with spiritual donuts and candy bars-stuff that tastes good but has no lasting nutritional value.

true commitment

do is determine in our hearts that this is our desire.
B. This is a deliberate choice, a determined resolve to follow Christ.

I. Involves Choice

II. Involves Constraint – “Let Him Deny Himself.”A. That is to disown, forsake, reject, restrain, or simply do without.

B.These words carry the idea of subduing our fleshly desires and disregarding what the flesh would have us do. It is a restraining of the flesh.

WHEN a person becomes a believer, their flesh still has a propensity toward sin. It’s like having termites in the wall of a house. The structure of the house is contaminated by an invasive element that is doing damage. Now, some people’s contamination is obvious. Holes in the wall and chewing on the wood are visible. It has become obvious that these folks are inhabited by something. In other people, the contamination by sin is not as visible. These people have money to hide it and to do paint jobs. Either way, the sin is there and the building is still infested. God has condemned the flesh, the building, because it has been contaminated by sin. Your body is so condemned, God isn’t even going to try to fix it. He is going to raise you up with a brand-new body because this one cannot be restored.

true commitment

I. Involves Choice

II. Involves Constraint

III. Involves A Cross – “Let Him...Take Up His Cross Daily.”A. In that day, the roads would often be filled with crosses as men hung there dying. The cross was a cruel instrument of death. B. Taking up our cross doesn’t only involve bearing burdens, it also involves dying to ourselves.

cross was a cruel instrument of death. B. Taking up our cross doesn’t only involve bearing burdens, it also involves dying to

ourselves.

, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

I KNOW that when we go overseas and I come back from overseas, I will suffer from jet lag. I will leave the country, and return to Dayton, but when I arrive home, I’ll probably be good for nothing for a few days. Why? Because I carry the residual effect of my trip. When you come to Jesus Christ, He transports you to heavenly places. He seats you on the right hand of the Father. But even seated there, you carry the residual effects of the trip. When you’re transported to Jesus Christ, you will still feel the residual effects of sin when you were owned by your sin nature. You’re still in the body where sin has made itself at home.

, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. We must die daily.”

AS THE offering tray passed, a little girl took the tray, put it on the floor, and stood up in the offering plate. The usher said, “Honey, why are you doing that?” And she said, “Because they taught me in Sunday school that my whole body was to be offered to the Savior.” This little girl got the point that she was the one who belonged in the tray, and that God does not want donations.

true commitment

I. Involves Choice

II. Involves Constraint

III. Involves A Cross

IV. Involves Commitment – We Are To Take Up Our Cross Daily And Follow HIM. The phrase “follow me” means “to be a follower or companion, to be a disciple.” It has the idea of activelyseeking fellowship with Christ and reflectingHis likeness daily.

actively seeking fellowship with Christ and reflecting His likeness daily.

Closing Thought:“Commitmentmeans STAYING LOYALto what you said you were going to do long AFTERthe MOODyou said it in has LEFT you.”